Background: No drug treatment to date has shown convincing clinical evidence of restoring cognitive function or preventing further decline after stroke. The ongoing ARTEMIDA study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Actovegin for the symptomatic treatment of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and will explore whether Actovegin has any disease-modifying effect by assessing whether any changes are sustained after treatment.
Design: ARTEMIDA is a 12-month, multicentre trial in patients (planned a total of 500, now recruited) with cognitive impairment following ischaemic stroke. The study consists of a baseline screening (≤7 days after stroke), after which eligible patients are randomised to Actovegin (2,000 mg/day for up to 20 intravenous infusions followed by 1,200 mg/day orally) or placebo for a 6-month double-blind treatment period. Patients will be followed up for a further 6 months, during which time they will be treated in accordance with standard clinical practice. The primary study endpoint is change from baseline in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale, extended version. Secondary outcomes include: Montreal Cognitive Assessment; dementia diagnosis (ICD-10); National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; Barthel Index; EQ-5D; Beck Depression Inventory, version II, and safety.
Conclusion: There is a clear need for effective treatments for PSCI. ARTEMIDA should provide important insights into the use of a novel drug therapy for PSCI.
Keywords: Actovegin; Cognitive impairment; Pharmacotherapy; Stroke; Vascular dementia.